


Cuddling Prompts

by carnivalinsidemyhead



Category: Take That
Genre: Affection, Cuddling, Fluff, Friendship, Intimacy, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-07
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2020-10-11 21:57:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 2,582
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20553305
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/carnivalinsidemyhead/pseuds/carnivalinsidemyhead
Summary: It’s been a slow process this, learning to trust Robbie again and getting to know him again, or in some ways, getting to know him for the first time.





	1. First Cuddle (Howard & Robbie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been a slow process this, learning to trust Robbie again and getting to know him again, or in some ways, getting to know him for the first time.

“This is nice.” Howard shifts his weight slightly against Robbie’s chest and leans back contentedly.

Robbie makes an affirming noise in response. “Comfy?” He asks.

“Mm..yeah. Could probably even fall asleep.”

“Okay but if you start snoring, I’m drawing a dick on your forehead.”

Howard snorts. “You sound like me, mate.” Robbie laughs and gives a little shrug. “I learned from the best, what can I say?”

They never did cuddle much back in the day, him and Robbie. Not unless the others were there. Or they were playing things up for the fans. But the two of them enjoying one another’s company just them? Not so much. Not that they didn’t get on, it was just different with them. They could laugh together, be crude together, have wanking contests together, but actual tenderness and intimacy eluded them.

They were both so vulnerable and shy under their boisterous crudeness that maybe it made them shy of one another. None of them felt safe letting their emotional guard down back then. And Howard has been wary of Robbie for a long while. Of his coming back. Of his changeable mind. Worried that he will hurt them again or they will hurt him again even though he knows that’s all in the past and they’re all different now. 

It’s been a slow process this, learning to trust Robbie again and getting to know him again, or in some ways, getting to know him for the first time.

It’s been slow, but it’s been worth it. 

He leans up and gives him a friendly peck on the cheek and grins slightly shyly at him.

“Really glad you’re back, mate.”


	2. Congratulatory (Gary & Mark)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “No matter what happens, I will always be proud of you.”

Gary sits down on the couch next to where Mark is sitting and staring somewhat glumly into space and gives his thigh a small, reassuring squeeze.

“I let everybody down, Gaz.”

Gary nods. “You did a bit, yeah. But you’re making things right now, and you know what Marko? I’m proud of you for that.”

Mark gives him a doubtful look. “What are you prouder of? Me ruining my marriage or me not being able to control my drinking?”

Gary frowns. “Hey now, none of that. I’m proud of you because you’ve admitted your mistakes and you’re trying to work things out with Emma. I’m proud of you for admitting that you have a drinking problem and agreeing to get treatment for it. Proud of you for committing to doing the work to be a better man so you can be a better dad to Elwood and Willow.”

“What if I can’t do it, Gaz? What if I can’t get through rehab? What if it’s too hard and I give up?”

Mark looks at Gary worriedly.

Gary takes Mark’s hands in his own and looks earnestly into his eyes.

“If there’s one thing I know about you, Mark, is that you don’t give up. You kept on with your songwriting after you lost your first record deal. You formed your own label and got your music out on your own when you lost your second deal.”

Mark nods slowly, still doubtful.

“You never gave up on me fixing things with Robbie and having him come back. You never gave up on us, period, even when we were all scared of trying again, you never stopped believing in us as a band.”

He pauses and reaches up to gently brush a tear from Mark’s cheek.

“You’ve never stopped believing in the band, but you’ve stopped believing in yourself. But I believe in you. You’re one of the strongest people I know. And I know you can do this.”

He pulls Mark close to him and hugs him tight and kisses him on the forehead.

“No matter what happens, I will always be proud of you.”


	3. Falling Asleep (Jason/Howard & Mark)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “That’s the third time this week he’s cried himself to sleep.”

Jason cautiously creaked the door open and tiptoed into the hotel room. Howard was lying quietly in the center of the bed with his arm curled protectively around Mark who was fast asleep snuggled against his hip with tear streaks dried on his face. 

Howard held a finger to his lips and made a soft shushing noise.

“He just dropped off,” he whispered, leaning down to lightly kiss the top of his head.

Jason nodded and crawled into the bed on the other side of Howard. He looked over at Mark and sighed. 

“That’s the third time this week he’s cried himself to sleep.”

Howard nodded glumly. “Poor little bastard.”

“It’s all my fault.”

Howard looked over at Jason sharply, who was licking his lips like he always did when he was stressed.

“If I kept my mouth shut Rob’d still be here and Markie’s heart wouldn’t be breaking.”

“You kept your mouth shut, he’d still be showing up at rehearsals high as a kite and almost breaking your neck. If you kept it shut long enough, there’d be no ‘almost’ about it.”

Jason opened his mouth to protest but Howard shook his head.

“No. It’s a fucking shame that Robbie’s gotten over his head with the drugs and I hate seeing how sad and lost Markie is without him just as much as you do, but you deserve to be safe, alright?”

Jason nodded slowly. “I suppose so,” he said, still sounding doubtful.

“No ‘suppose’ about it, you do, end of story. Now come on, get yourself settled and comfy, yeah?”

He lifted his free arm to let Jason snuggle in close and then draped it over him loosely with Jason resting his head on his chest.

He was asleep within a few moments, still holding onto Mark and Jason, nurturing even in slumber.

Jason lay awake a while longer, sleep, as always, not coming easily to him, but eventually finding himself drifting off lulled by the rising and falling of Howard’s chest and the sound of him softly snoring. He placed a sleepy kiss on his cheek and murmured “Love you How.”

Then he too slept.


	4. Last Cuddle (Jason/ Howard)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “This isn’t who I am anymore, How. I don’t belong here.”

“You can’t leave,” Howard turned to look at Jason in panic. “We can’t do this without you.” 

He paused and looked down and murmured “*I* can’t do this without you.”

Jason sat down next to him and sighed. “This isn’t who I am anymore, How. I don’t belong here.”

Howard opened his mouth to protest but Jason stopped him.

“No...I don’t mean I’m not welcome...I know I am...but it’s a struggle for me, How. I’m not like you three. I don’t get music like you guys do and I’m too old to dance. I feel like a fraud carrying on and not really contributing.”

Howard hugged him tightly and said in a slightly fierce tone, “You are *not* a fraud and you *do* contribute, stop being daft!”

Jason gave him a grateful little half smile and kissed his forehead.

“Oh I know. Or at least I know if I tell myself enough. But that’s the trouble innit? I have to keep reassuring myself all the time and it’s exhausting, How. I’ve done it for a long time cos I think it was really important for us to do this second go round-really important for me, all of us really, as a healing thing and also, I’ve gotten a lot of joy from it, I really have, but…”

“You’re not getting joy from it anymore?” Howard looked stricken.

“Not really. Not enough to make the voices shut up. I haven’t for a long time, really. I stayed for Rob, cos I felt like it was important that we were all there for that and obviously he and I had things to clear up and needed to get good with each other and I’m grateful I did and that I have a relationship with him now but that’s done with and we’re back to where we were and I just can’t do it. I can’t do it anymore, How.”

He collapsed against Howard’s shoulder, blinking back tears.

“You *can* do it,” Howard started, speaking softly, “but you don’t *have* to, alright? Open door, remember?”

Jason looked at him with a mixture of relief and anxiety. “You’re okay, then? With my leaving?”

“Not really, but I’d be less okay with making you stay. What sort of a friend would I be if I did?”

Jason snuggled into him and gave his hand a squeeze and smiled up at him. 

“The *best* kind of friend. No matter what you do, no matter what I do, or where we are, that’s what you’re always going to be for me.”

He reached out and stroked his cheek and kissed him softly on the lips for a brief moment. 

“I love you, How. And that will never change.”


	5. Reunion (Gary/Howard)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chance to start over. To make up for his past selfishness. For all the ways he hurt everyone. Especially for how he hurt Howard.

They’d seen each other off and on over the years, of course, but that was different. It was always with the knowing that it was momentary, temporary, a blip out of time, and that their real lives were the ones they were leading separately.

And then there came the time they didn’t see each other at all, when Gary fled and hid, filled with guilt and shame over what he’d become. 

And then Howard finding him again and trying to convince him to believe that maybe he was still beautiful. That he wasn’t irredeemable. That he still deserved love.

He couldn’t accept any of that at the time and he pushed Howard away. Again.

He regrets that now. He regrets so much.

Which leads him to here, to now, in this room, all four together. (It should be five, Gary knows, but give him time, he’s not ready for that.) 

A chance to start over. To make up for his past selfishness. For all the ways he hurt everyone. Especially for how he hurt Howard. 

He takes a hesitant step towards Howard and cautiously stretches his hand out to him and before he knows it, he’s being enveloped in a tight, bear hug and squeezed within an inch of his life.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers.

“No need to be,” Howard tells him. “Just stay.” He pulls back and looks at him imploringly.

“Just promise me you’ll stay?”

Gary nods. “I’m not going anywhere.” 

And for once, he really means it.

He is home.


	6. While someone’s sick (Mark/Robbie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Robbie was quite possibly the worst patient ever when he had flu.

Robbie was quite possibly the worst patient ever when he had flu. 

He whined. He moaned. He was contrary and obstinate- which admittedly he also was when he was well, but at least it was usually in a fun sort of way then. 

Mark was the only one who had the patience to nurse him through his illness and even his patience was wearing thin after Robbie had sent back his chicken soup no less than three times in a row for being “too hot” and then “too cold” and then “too chickeny tasting.” (Exactly what Mark was supposed to do about the last one, he had no idea.)

He brought the tray back into the bedroom for the fourth time and set it down on the nightstand with a slight bang of irritation.

Robbie looked up in alarm.

“Here’s your soup. Not too hot, not too cold. Still chickeny because it’s chicken soup for fuck’s sake and we don’t have another kind. And you’re gonna eat it anyway because you need to get yer strength up. And I brought you some water and some more paracetamol, you’re due for another dose. Does his majesty need to have his pillows fluffed?”

Robbie bit his lip and looked contrite. That was another thing about him- he really was genuinely sorry after his bouts of contrariness. And that kept Mark from wanting to strangle him. Most of the time. Besides, he really was quite ill.

“Sorry I’ve been such a cranky arse.” He let Mark help him into a sitting position and meekly ate a few spoonfuls of soup and took his medicine, then lay his head back and closed his eyes.

“I can’t eat anymore now. I’m sorry, Markie.”

“It's alright. Long as you get a little food in your system. Do you need anything else or should I just leave you to rest?”

Robbie looked up at him wistfully. 

“Could you lie down with me? I’m lonely.”

Mark nodded and climbed into the bed and positioned himself behind Robbie and loosely draped his arms around his stomach. 

“Only because this is the only way I ever get to be the big spoon.”

Robbie let out a laugh which turned into a coughing fit and Mark rubbed his back soothingly as he recovered. 

“Love you, Cranky Arse,” he murmured as he kissed the back of his head.

Robbie let out a soft sigh of contentment as he began to drift back to sleep. “Love you too, Markie.”


	7. Familiar Cuddle (Gary & Howard)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gary and Howard don’t mind, really, having time just the two of them. It’s quite nice actually.

They’re meeting up at the studio today, the three of them, for a songwriting session, the first one in an age, ready to get back into the swing of things with the band.

Gary is already settled in with his laptop when Howard comes in. He looks up at him with a smile and pats the spot next to him on the sofa.

“Come and join me, Doug.”

Howard nods as he takes off his coat. 

“Yeah, alright.” He comes and sits next to Gary and looks over his shoulder at the laptop.

“What we got then?”

Gary plays him one of the backing tracks and he closes his eyes and nods along, sliding closer to Gary as he does.

“I like that one.”

He opens his eyes and leans over Gary to point at the screen. 

“I think in that bit right there though I think maybe the tempo should speed up a little bit…”

Gary adjusts the track and Howard nods and smiles. 

They continue like this, Howard leaning into Gary and resting against his shoulder, sometimes listening together without speaking, sometimes offering opinions, both of them equally comfortable with one another either way.

They’re not getting too far into the songs because they’re waiting for Mark. Who will probably not be there for at least another hour and they’d be irritated about it but after all these years, they’re resigned to their fate.

And they don’t mind really, having time just the two of them. It’s quite nice. 

And so they snuggle in together for a cuddle and a listen. And when Mark gets there, they will gladly make room for him as well.


	8. Comfort (Mark & Robbie)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Your time is gonna come.”

“I really, really wanted to do this song, Markie.” Robbie blinks back tears after he gets word that the label wants to go with Gary on Relight My Fire after all.

“I know. I know ya did,” Mark rubs his back soothingly. 

“ ‘s not fair is it? Nige promised me I could do the lead on it. He *promised*.

Mark shakes his head and wraps his arms around Robbie’s shoulders and kisses the top of his head.

“No, no it’s not fair at all.”

Robbie looks up at Mark anxiously. 

“Markie? Am I a bad singer?”

Mark’s eyes widen in surprise. “No! No you’re not! You’re brilliant!”

“You’re not just saying that?”

“Course I’m not.” 

Robbie snuggles against Mark’s chest with a sigh and lets him stroke his hair.

“Then why don’t they let me sing more?”

Mark sighs. 

“I dunno, mate. I just don’t know.”

He leans down to kiss the top of his head again and speaks once more, this time with more conviction.

“But I do know one thing.”

Robbie looks up at him curiously. “Yeah? What’s that, then?”

“Your time is gonna come. And you’re gonna be fucking amazing.”


End file.
